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Higher wages for low income earners a possibility for Louisiana cities

Sara MacNeil
Shreveport Times

 

Higher wages for low income earners could be an option for Shreveport and other Louisiana cities.

Louisiana cities could have the ability to raise the local minimum wage for their residents and set family leave policies if state lawmakers pass a bill this legislative session. Councilwoman LeVette Fuller asked the City Council to urge legislators to pass that bill. Tuesday, the council voted with no discussion in support of local authorities having the power to set the minimum wage rate for residents of their cities. 

Shreveport City Council at Government Plaza.

Pending House Bill 422 introduced by State Rep. Royce Duplessis, a Democrat serving New Orleans, would grant local control of minimum wage and family leave policy for workers. The bill is on its way to the House labor committee. Last year, the labor committee voted against implementing a state-wide $15 per hour minimum wage. 

Employers must pay workers the higher amount if a state, city or county sets the minimum wage higher than the federal rate. A state law passed in the late ‘90s prevents Louisiana municipalities from setting the minimum wage higher than the Fair Labor Standards Act, which is $7.25. The federal government hasn’t changed the minimum wage for more than a decade.

More:What states pay minimum wage higher than federal government's $7.25 an hour

“It’s beyond low. You can’t live off $7.25,” Duplessis said.

More:From California to New York, states are raising minimum wages in 2019 for 17 million workers

Cities need the ability to control the minimum wage of their municipality because the cost of living varies statewide, he said. In 2016, Louisiana State University conducted a poll that found 76 percent of Louisiana residents support raising the minimum wage, according to Unleash Local, a workers protection advocacy group. 

Unleash Local, a workers advocacy organization, met on the steps of Government Plaza Tuesday to rally in support of House Bill 422, which would allow municipalities to raise the minimum wage for their residents.

Although most citizens support legislation to raise the minimum wage, there’s opposition from business owners and lobbyists. Duplessis said their concerns are unwarranted.

“When you pay people low wages, you get bad results. When you pay livable wages, you get better results. It’s a good business decision,” he said.

Communication Workers of America Local 3411 is campaigning to get cities to show their support for the bill, which he said will help the bill gain traction in the state legislature. CWA Local 3411 President Matt Wood said New Orleans City Council approved a resolution to support the bill and Lafayette and Alexandria City Councils have a resolution on their agenda. Wood expected that a resolution in support of the bill would be approved by Shreveport City Council Tuesday and he was right. All seven members voted to show support for giving local authorities control over the minimum wage.

John Ratcliffe, an member of Unleash, a workers advocacy organization, addressed the City Council about House Bill 422 and state labor rights before council members voted in support of the legislation.

Another component of House Bill 422 would grant cities the power to control family sick leave policy. Wood said it would give workers protection from being terminated over a sickness in their family.

“If your mother or child gets sick or deathly ill, you have to take time off work. Your employer would not be allowed to fire you with this bill,” Wood said.